1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an apparatus and method for testing pump seals, particularly positive or so-called mechanical seals and wherein substantial disassembly of the pump to perform the test procedure is not required.
2. Background
Certain types of machines such as fluid transfer and hydraulic pumps use a variety of seals including positive or so-called mechanical type seals to prevent leakage of fluid from the pump working parts to atmosphere or the pump's surrounding environment. In many applications of pumps, it is inconvenient to remove the pump from its operating position to perform tests on the seals to verify satisfactory operation. This seal test procedure is important and sometimes required where the associated pump or similar type of machine is operating with or on volatile or toxic fluids. The present invention overcomes several problems associated with prior art pump seal test methods.